The Glamorous Life (9 page)

Bambi searched her heart but didn’t know what to say, so she just listened.

“Bambi straight up, I need a job. I mean I’ll work for the bare minimum. I just need to get out of this house every day. I know that as a business owner it might be hard to trust me or whatever, but Bambi, you know me and have known me your whole life. You—”

Bambi stopped her and said, “My business is still new. I don’t know just yet what or who I will hire, but I promise I will keep you in mind.”

“Okay, that’s all I can ask, if you mean that! If it’s from the heart.”

“I mean it, and that’s my word, Ruby.”

Bambi went in and got the contract from Zonna and chitchatted with her for a while, and when she came out of the house, she saw Ruby sweeping the sidewalk. Ruby looked like she was still in the eighties. She wore an old checkerboard shirt with some Lee jeans and some beat-up, old, dirty Princess Reeboks.

Bambi called out to Ruby, “Ruuubbbeee, come here for a
minute.” They met at the silver chain link fence that separated the two houses, and Bambi asked, “Were you serious about what you said?”

“Yes, I will do anything.”

“Well, I don’t know if you heard, but I was on home confinement for a while, and I didn’t do a thing but lay in the bed. My house is a wreck. I straightened up a little, but it truly needs a thorough clean-up. Can I pay you to come and do it?”

“Yup, I sure would, broke as I am. You ready now?” Ruby said without one bit of hesitation.

“Yup.”

They left, and Bambi took Ruby to get some cleaning supplies, and then it was on to her house. She explained that she had to go take care of some business but would be back.

“No problem, just show me where everything is and give me your cell phone number in case I need anything.”

Before Bambi left, she planted two hundred and thirty dollars to see if she could really trust Ruby. Even though she had known Ruby for forever and a day not to mention she had much love for her, she had to know that she could trust Ruby beyond a reasonable doubt. And to her, a couple hundred bucks would be worth it to find out.

CHAPTER 08

The Predator
Becomes the Prey

B
ambi stopped by the club to go over the contract with Disco, and the barmaid told her that Disco was on his way and that he’d said to have a drink on him. She sat at the bar drinking a virgin daiquiri and noticed a dude across the bar staring at her. The dude wore a Star of David around his neck with diamonds that were blinging from across the bar. Even from a distance she could tell that the diamonds were not crushed or unclear stones and that the price of the necklace could have been equivalent to a very late-model used car. She tried to ignore him, but he kept smiling at her. She returned a phony smile, which unfortunately he took as a sure cue for him to come and join her.

Damn, you smile at a nigga and now he wants to come over and talk you to death. Did I ask him for some company? Hell
no
!

“Is someone sitting here?” He pointed to the empty bar stool.

She never answered as he sat down. “Would you like another daiquiri?”

“No, I’m okay,” she said dismissively, but he wasn’t getting the idea.

The one-way conversation went on for about ten minutes. Then he finally said to her, “Pretty lady, I didn’t catch your name?”

“Maybe because I didn’t throw it,” she said, resuming her phony smile.

“Bad day at the office?” He looked over her black Ellen Tracy business suit and her Dooney and Bourke briefcase, making the assumption she was at the club for happy hour.

She laughed a little. “No.”

“I’m Smooth.” He extended his hand out.

She almost shit a brick. Since Egypt’s ordeal the word “smooth” made her stomach turn simply when used as an adjective. Here she was sitting face-to-face with her friend’s predator. Her first thought was to run behind the counter, grab one of those bottles, hit him upside the head, and beat him unmercifully. But she managed to keep her composure, not showing one ounce of emotion, and smiled. “Oh, I like that name. It’s different.”

“I know. I think I’m probably the only guy in this town with the name Smooth.”

Thanks for confirmation, you slimy dirt bag,
she thought with a devilish grin, but extended her hand. “I’m Barbie.”

“Damn girl, you’s finer than any black Barbie doll I ever saw.”

She smiled.

“Where yo man?” he asked.

“He broke my heart and left me.”

“Damn, baby, that’s some real ill shit, but don’t worry ’bout it, cuz every dog has its day!”

“You’re right, every dog does have its day,” she agreed, nodding her head.

He glanced at her keys on the bar and noticed a picture on it that looked like it had been taken at a state fair. He picked it up for a closer look at her key chain and looked at the picture.

“This is your sister?” he asked, pointing to the other person in the picture.

“No.” She shook her head and smiled. “It’s my mother.”

“Damn, baby, I can sho see where you get your pretty looks from.”

“You come here a lot?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Umm, sometimes but not too much,” he said.

Only when you’re on the hunt for your next victim, huh?
Smooth’s cell phone started ringing with back-to-back calls. Then his pager started to vibrate. He tried to ignore it, but he couldn’t—it was about to blow up. He knew he had to answer so it would stop. He told her, “Look, I really gotta make a run right quick. But I don’t want to leave if this means I will never see you or hear from you again.”

“Oh, you will.”

He finally answered his phone, having no idea that the phone volume needed to come down some because she could hear everything that was being said to him.

“Nigga, where da fuck you at?” she heard a high-pitched female voice scream. Bambi never gave any indication that she heard anything. She only smiled, batting her big brown eyes.

“I’m going to be on the way in a minute to come and get that.” He played his role to the tee, acting like it was one of his homeboys on the phone.

“Yeah, nigga, you’ve been saying you on the way for three hours.”

“Nah, for real, just make sure you have everything right when I get there.”

The voice softened up a little bit, but Bambi could still hear her say, “I am naked waiting here so I can taste that sweet cum of yours in my mouth.”

“I’m going to pass through there in a minute, so make sho’ it’s all good when I get there.”

“Don’t worry, it will be, baby!”

“A’ight den.”

He closed the Startec phone, looked into Bambi’s eyes, and tried to be sincere. She would probably have believed him had she not heard the whole conversation and also known what he did to her friend Egypt. “Look, baby, sorry … but ummm, I’ve gotta bust a move so I can get this cheddar for us.”

Yeah, whatever, you lying-ass Negro,
she thought as she smiled and said to him, “Oh, for real?”

“Yeah, baby, I’m straight feeling you, and I am trying to make you mines.”

“Is that right?”

“Yup, that’s right,” he said, looking into her eyes. She was happy that she could smell his game a mile away. That alone was her advantage, because if she hadn’t, she would have been up the creek with no paddle.

They exchanged cell phone numbers, and he promised to call her in a few hours so they could go to dinner and pick up their conversation where they’d left off. She agreed, knowing that he had fallen right into her trap.

When Disco finally dragged himself in so she could review the contract with him, she fussed at him, “Disco, this is business. You are almost an hour late. I can’t do business like this.”

She carried on for a minute, to let him know she was serious, and then once they got down to business he agreed to all her terms and conditions. It wasn’t long before she was exiting the club with a signed contract in her hand—and a check for her first gig. As soon as she got into her car, her cell phone rang. It was Smooth asking her to meet him for dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. She agreed. As she drove to Outback, she looked at her missed phone call log. She had missed Egypt’s and Zonna’s calls and seven calls from Reggie.
Damn, can this dude just pleeeezzz leave me alone? Please!

Five minutes had not passed, and Smooth was calling back. “Hey, baby, I want to talk to you until you get to me.”

She smiled to herself and played along, listening to Smooth brag about how much money he was pulling down.

“I apologize for leaving you, but I had to handle my business. I’m going to try to stack as much paper as I can, because I can tell you like nice shit, trips, shopping sprees, fast cars, and big diamonds and shit, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. I mean what lady you know don’t like nice things?”

“I can especially tell that you do, and Boo, believe me, I ain’t got no problem with that.”

“I hear you talking. Shit, it doesn’t cost nothing to talk, does it?”

“Yeah, baby, I got a spot in my life for a wife, and I feel the instant attraction to you. I know you’re going to think this shit here is game, but I just had a dream about you, and then I come to the club and I see you. I swear I thought I saw an angel when I peeped you at the bar.”

She listened as he continued to try to convince himself that his game was airtight. She didn’t know his motive and really
didn’t care, but she knew hers and wasn’t going to give any indication that she wasn’t falling for his lame-ass game.

“So when my phone was going crazy, I didn’t want to make the run, but I know you don’t want to let that nineteen G’s slip through our fingers, do you?”

“Nope, I’ll never stand in the way of you getting yo money, especially if it’s for us. But don’t talk that ‘us’/‘we’ shit if it’s really all about you.”

“Baby, I can only show you better than I can tell you.”

“Well, where is my cut?” she blurted out, not meaning for it to come out like that, not to mention she had just pulled into the parking space beside Smooth in the Outback parking lot. She tried to fix it up, saying, “I mean if you’re going to have to neglect me, make sure you play fair and compensate me.”

“Baby, I’ve been trying to tell you that I got you!”

“A’ight, we’ll see,” she said as she got out the car.

“Dammmmnnnn, baby, you are really a black Barbie for real, huh? Driving your red Corvette and everything? What am I going to do with you?”

“Love me, that’s all you can do,” she said with just as much game as he had been kicking. The only difference was he seemed to be falling for hers.

He smiled and looked her over. There was no doubt about it: Smooth was impressed. He had met his match, and he knew it. He had no idea that Bambi wasn’t taking him seriously any more than she would the man in the moon.

Their dinner went well. They continued to stroke each other’s egos, but Bambi seemed to fondle his ego more, and Smooth was falling so deep and fast he couldn’t even catch himself. It looked like he only had one thought: He wanted Barbie and
would go to east hell to get her. Whatever it took, Barbie was going to be his girl—and his number one at that.

As they exited the restaurant, his phone began to ring again.

“Damn, baby, I’ve got to get this money. I’ve been putting these niggas on hold all night. You understand, don’t cha?”

“Yes, I understand completely.” She shook her head, gazing into his eyes with disappointment written all over her face. He had to think of something quick, as he opened the door and she got in. He looked down into the car and handed her a wad of money.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Your cut. I told you when I leave you, I’m leaving to benefit us.” He smiled and kissed her on the cheek and said, “Call me to let me know you made it home safe, and we gonna kick it on the phone all night, a’ight?”

“Okay.” She smiled, knowing that her work with Smooth would be easier than she’d ever imagined.

Once Smooth turned and went in the opposite direction, she pulled over to the shoulder so she could count the stash of money. It was nineteen hundred.
Damnnnn, this psycho Negro is really strapped. I know it has to be more where that came from. It just has to be!

She called Egypt and swung by her house and gave her half of the money.

“Look, don’t ask me no questions. Just know I’m not doing anything illegal. Plain and simple.”

Bambi didn’t have to say it twice. Egypt gladly took the money and gave her friend a hug.

They talked on the phone all the way until she got to her house.

When Bambi got home, she checked her mailbox and pulled out a stack of bills. She was almost afraid to open up the credit
card bills because she knew the damage that she had done while in her self-imposed exile was ridiculously high.

She could practically smell the bleach even before she reached her door. She opened the door and found Ruby in a recliner fast asleep. She was impressed by how Ruby had cleaned her house from top to bottom. All the boxes had been put away. She had rearranged the furniture, and the bathroom had never been cleaner since she moved in. On the coffee table was the two hundred and thirty dollars that she had planted, along with an additional ten-dollar bill and a bunch of change that Ruby had found throughout the house while cleaning.